AstraZeneca collaborates with Pieris to develop novel drugs

AstraZeneca has entered into a collaboration with biotech company Pieris Pharmaceuticals to develop novel inhaled drugs that expand on Pieris’s Anticalin platform.

Anticalin molecules are engineered proteins which can mimic antibodies by binding to sites either on other proteins or small molecules. They have the potential of direct delivery to the lung.

Under the agreement, AstraZeneca will make an upfront payment and milestone payments to Pieris of $57.5 million.

Pieris will be responsible for advancing its preclinical lead candidate into phase 1 clinical trials in 2017.

AstraZeneca will fund all clinical development and subsequent commercialisation programmes, and Pieris has the option of co-development and co-commercialisation in the US from Phase 2a onwards.

According to a press release, Pieris has the potential to receive development-dependent milestones and eventual commercial payments for all products not exceeding $2.1 billion, as well as tiered royalties.

Mene Pangalos, executive vice president at AstraZeneca, said: “Our alliance with Pieris adds an important new modality to our respiratory portfolio and builds on our scientific expertise in inhaled formulation technologies.”

Stephen Yoder, president of Pieris, added: “Our partnership with AstraZeneca accelerates the transformation of Pieris into a fully-integrated drug development and commercial organis ation, comprising two main pillars in immunology: respiratory diseases and immuno-oncology, each of which is now anchored by a major alliance.”

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